The present invention generally relates to a patient support apparatus, such as a hospital bed or a stretcher, having articulating back, thigh and foot sections. More particularly, the present invention relates to a patient support apparatus having an auto contour feature so that the knees of the patient supported on the patient support apparatus are raised and lowered as the back section is raised and lowered.
Stretchers often do not have a knee crank mechanism, and therefore the knees of the patient supported on the stretcher cannot be raised from a generally horizontal position. Because the patient's knees cannot be raised when the patient's head is raised, the patient has a tendency to migrate toward the foot end of the stretcher. Even in stretchers with a knee crank mechanism, the caregiver must raise the patient's knees separately from the patient's head. Because caregivers are often in a hurry, the patient's knees do not always get raised and when they don't, the patient may slide toward the foot end of the stretcher. Eventually the patient's feet may extend past the foot end of the stretcher. When a caregiver tries to reposition a patient back toward the head end of the stretcher, there is a risk of back injury to the caregiver.
Although the term “stretcher” is used throughout the specification of the present patent application, it is understood that the novel features of the invention may as well be incorporated into any type of patient support apparatus, such as a hospital bed, an ambulatory chair, an x-ray table, an operating table and so on. The term “patient support apparatus” as used in this description and claims shall therefore be understood to include any type of patient support apparatus, such as s stretcher, a hospital bed, an ambulatory chair, an x-ray table or an operating table.
According to the present invention, a patient support apparatus includes a frame and a deck carried on the frame. The deck includes back, seat and thigh sections, with at least the back and thigh sections articulated relative to the frame. A back section drive is coupled to the back section to raise and lower the back section. A thigh section drive is coupled to the back section and to the thigh section to raise and lower the thigh section as the back section is raised and lowered. The back section drive includes a control coupled to the back section near the head end thereof that can be actuated to adjust the position of the back section relative to the frame.
According to an illustrative embodiment, a patient support apparatus includes a frame and a deck carried on the frame. The deck includes back, seat and thigh sections, with at least the back and thigh sections articulated relative to the frame. A back section drive is coupled to the back section to raise and lower the back section. A thigh section drive is coupled to the thigh section to raise and lower the thigh section. The back section drive and the thigh section drive are operatively coupled together such that the thigh section is initially raised and then lowered as the back section is raised from a horizontal position to a near upright position through an intermediate position therebetween.
According to another illustrative embodiment, a patient support apparatus includes a frame and a deck carried on the frame. The deck includes back, seat and thigh sections, with at least the back and thigh sections articulated relative to the frame. A back section drive is coupled to the back section to raise and lower the back section. A thigh section drive is coupled to the back section and the thigh section to initially raise and then lower the thigh section as the back section is raised.
In the illustrative patient support apparatus, the thigh section drive includes a track coupled to the frame and a track-engaging member movable along the track and coupled to the thigh section and coupled to the back section. The track includes a first straight portion along which the track-engaging member moves to raise the thigh section and a second inclined portion along which the track-engaging member moves to lower the thigh section as the back section is raised. The track-engaging member may be a roller.
The illustrative patient support apparatus includes linkage coupling the track-engaging member to the back section to move the track-engaging member along the track initially along the straight portion to raise the thigh section and then along the inclined portion to lower the thigh section as the back section is raised. The linkage includes a spring clutch comprising a housing, coil gripping springs received inside the housing and a connecting rod. The connecting rod has a first end coupled to the back section for pivoting movement by a pivot pin and a second end slidably received inside the gripping springs. The spring clutch is lockable so that the gripping springs constricts around the connecting rod preventing the connecting rod from sliding relative to the clutch housing to couple the back section to the track-engaging member so that the thigh section is initially raised and then lowered as the back section is raised. The spring clutch is releasable so that the gripping springs loosens its grip on the connecting rod allowing the connecting rod to slide relative to the clutch housing to decouple the back section from track-engaging member so that the back section can be raised without also raising the thigh section.
The illustrative patient support apparatus includes a handle coupled to the spring clutch, and movable between a first position where the spring clutch is locked to couple the back section to the track-engaging member and a second position where the spring clutch is released to decouple the back section from the track-engaging member. A clutch release rod is coupled to the handle. A clutch release cable couples the clutch release rod to the spring clutch so that the spring clutch is locked when the handle is moved from the second position to the first position and the spring clutch is unlocked when the handle is moved from the first position to the second position. A latch plate is coupled to the back section and coupled to the clutch release rod for locking the clutch release rod when the back section is raised and freeing the clutch release rod when the back section is lowered to a horizontal or near horizontal position.
According to still another illustrative embodiment, a patient support apparatus includes a frame and a deck carried on the frame. The deck includes back, seat and thigh sections, with at least the back and thigh sections articulated relative to the frame. A first thigh section drive is coupled to the back section and to the thigh section to initially raise and then lower the thigh section as the back section is raised. A second thigh section drive is coupled to the thigh section to raise and lower the thigh section when the first thigh section drive is decoupled from the back section.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.